Bowling pin pickup apparatus



Ap 1956 G. A. MONTOOTH ETAL 2,740,631

BOWLING PIN PICKUP APPARATUS Original Filed March 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORJ' 650265 4. M0 V7'007W ALBE'ET A4. BOWEN XM Z VMLM WTM ATTORNEYS April 3, 1955 s. A. MONTOOTH ETAL BOWLING PIN PIQKUP APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 26, 1946 v INVENTORS 650 965 A. M0/V7'007'h AL BERT/W. saws/v United States Patent George A.-Montooth and Alh rtMs-Bowen, LongQBeach, Califl, assighors to The Bruhswick-Balke-Collender Com any originalapplication March-26, 1946, Sei'ial'Nm 5575238,

now Patent No. 2,697,605, datedDecemb'er 21; 195 Divided-andfilis application February 7, 1952,-S'enal No. 270, 371

9*Clatmst (Cl. 773

This invention relates. to machines for settingpins on bowling.v alleys and more particularly to an automatic pin handling mechanism. I

This application is a division of applicants prior application serial Nu1nber.657,238, filed March 26, 1946, now PatentNm 2,697,605

Thepresent invention has foritsprimary object to provide a pin lifter mechanism which is automatic in operationand which will function properly regardless of pin location;

Another object of the invention is to provide apin lifter or. pick-up meohanismwhich is self-latching. The operation. is such that the-lifter'engages the pins; whichv are automatically latched and-held in engaged relation.

Another object of the invention is to provide-a-pick-up mechanism having a self-latching device whiehwill release itself without any external control and solely by relativemovement betwee'n parts of the pick-up mechamsm;

Another object of the invention is-t'o provideapin lifter mechanism having parallel bars which may be moved out of the playing area quickly and to a position where contact with a-thrown' ball or flying pins will not occur.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a pin setting mechanism according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a detailed verticalvsection'al View of 'one of ten similar pin engaging units of a pin-setting rack used inthe-invent-ion.

Figure isa sectional view thereofi as seen at right anglesto Figural Figure -4 is. a broken-plan view thereof. igure 5 is afragmentary view thereof; as seen-along the line 5-5 of Figure Figured is a further broken view of parts shown in Figure 5 in another position.

Figure 7 shows agronpof four vertical sectional Views of a latchused-inthe invention andin various positions thereof. 7

The alley 100; its-pin-spottingdeck ltlftand its gutters are conventional, the alley terminating in a pit 103' provided. with aback-stop 104- forreceivingthe' impact of the ball and any pins which may be'propelled against it. The pit 103 is provided with means 105 for lifting a ball from alow point in the pit to an elevated point'from which it isdischargedfor return or delivery to the Bowler, with means 106 initiating the"synchronous"movement'of various portions of the mechanism, and means: 107 for moving pins in the'pit fof'elevation therefrom by a lift conveyor: 10%.- The' 1atte1'?serves to movethe pins to an elevated point of. the mechanismfor discharge into a chute: 16?; A'tpinxma'gazine 110 receives t'h'e pins from the chn't'em9 and, when filled with. a" full complement of. ten; pins}: discharges them into a pintray'l'll therebeneath having cans arranged: toreceive and hold: the pins in the arrangement" they will have when plaeede o the alley dec k Said-tray is movable to' a p osition over the deck-101 for extraction of the pinsthei'efrom-by a pins etting raclt 112. The pack notonly'serves toreceive a full complementvof pins from'the tray lllgand; deposit them 1 intproperspotted .positionon the deck 101- butalso serves to engage and lift any pins left standingafter a. ball has been rolled so that saiddeck can lee-swept clear of fallenpins. The. rack re-deposits such pins in; the same positions from. which: they have been lifted subsequent to clearingthe deck so that-theyrare' ready for the secondball-to berolledv p I t V The mechanism. further includes a guarddlawhich has a normal elevated positioniandj is movedatosa position across the alley in frontof the deck during the period of operation of the mechanism; to: protect. the came against injury by a-prematurely rolled ball: A squeegeeor 'deck clearing. device '1 14-r noves vertically 'with the guard and also moves rearwardlyto sweep thedeck of= fallen pihs after the pin setting rack has lifted standirigapin's. There isalso provided apin deck cover 115 siiitalvlyelevhtetl with'respect to the dec'k 101 tb give-ample p itl clearance. Said coverllS isnormallyclosed to protect the rack 112 and other mechanism from injury by iiying' pins but opens synchronously with the downward movement of the guard 113 so that thewrack- 112 may move vi'ti'cally' through theresulting opening.

The-mechanism:alsoprovides means for receivinga ball from-thedift 105 for 'returnrthereof' to the finwlen Pitt tfidizir'zg tifi izgor rite/e112" Thisdevice: isr best illiist-rated in Figlires i to: 7-. seen in-Figtii'e-hltlie: rack (which may alsb'eerererrea to-as'a carri-age) is-raised':and lii avetedliya "ssnie flttiti cylinder=264 whieh= receives fiuid tind'r' pres refo'iwe way oi tip and down motiondf the' -rack; neuritic-pump 245. Figure lashows'a reuawaywaivezftsfor'oatreiiiag tlie 'operat-ion ofthe piston- M6256 of the yhitdr and, be'causeof the let ter s' 'eontiec'tioii wanna-task, iiiefais i-iigandlowefing 'f said r'aelt rhts-varveaav Be controlled manaaltv or by the" mechanism s'liowh iii" applicents parentamine ion; 1 a v The facl omprise a-relafivei-y Inge faBi-icat'ed frame 266: of generally trl-iiiigdl-ar strata: Because of" its said-frame is apt to lie distortedlavfiiessure, for es applied the cylinder Aic iirdirigly; means are d for maiiitaiiiing'liall p w some frame, and the-three -6omers-thereaf; 1ever at an t Said means con neups arraiagtraekets 267' ingest; the frame at the" com 263,. and a long ineg'ligilile torsionlofitheshaftsi68 and 2 69 the engage merit of" the gears v with them-respective racks will maintain the racle frame- 2 66 level at all times. The frame also carries --ro 1llers27 3 which engage the smooth sides 1 of the racks tofurther-stabilize the s'tructure; The weight 0% the rack iiscountr-balahceti by a-cdnntefiwe'igtit'274 which isconnectedby a ca-hle 279, trained ovei ptilleys 276 104 1 midapoint 'of the raehfra'rne 2661 The frame-2665s provided: with ten similar pin grasp: ing and lifting units 277 arranged inthe same attern as are'theca-ns ofthepiritffaydld 7 Each unit comprises ihte i de' hde'iit meha'nit sis't-ing of. a svertically-movble liaiiisih 178* an horizontally ntdvabie" lifting: and 279.

i The mechanism 279 i mildew 'Ii ironing emisge ment relative thereto when the carriage is in a lowered position, means connecting said plate to said pin gripping bars operable to pivot the bars towards each other to grip a pin when the plate engages the top of av pin and is moved relatievly to the carriage thereby, and automatically operated latch means operable to lock said bars in engaged relation with a pin, said latch means comprising a latch device carried by said plate and having a lug engaging the carriage as the plate is moved to an extreme position during the pin gripping operation, and means operable upon relative movement between the latch device and carriage when the carriage is moved to respot the pin on the pin deck and said plate is again moved to an extreme position by the pin for swinging said latch device to a disengaged position.

2. A pin handling apparatus, comprising a vertically movable carriage, a pin engaging plate having a guideway slidably mounted on the carriage, parallel pin-gripping bars carried by arms pivotally mounted on and depending from the carriage when a pin is gripped, and means for holding said bars in engagement with a pin including a push bar slidably mounted on the carriage having an end slidably mounted in said guideway to permit movement of the push bar relative to the plate, and links connecting the push bar and arms, said push bar upon movement in one direction relative to the carriage acting upon the links to swing the parallel bars outwardly and upwardly away from the position in which a pin is gripped.

3. A pin handling mechanism comprising a vertically movable carriage having spaced annular bearings, a pin engaging plate having a tubular extension mounted for sliding movement in said bearings, said extension having a slot therein extending in a direction transverse to the direction of sliding movement, spring means urging said plate downwardly into pin engaging position, pin engaging parallel bars pivotally mounted on the carriage for movement in an arcuate path to pin engaging position, means for moving the carriage, link means for swinging said parallel bars when said plate engages a pin thereunder and the carriage continues to move downwardly and latching means carried by the extension and normally disposed at a point below the bearings including a latch body portion having a pivot pin mounted in said slot, a latch lug on said body portion positioned to allow free passage of the lower bearing on its downward movement and operable to engage the lower of said spaced annular bearings after said free passage to maintain said parallel bars in pin engaging position and in so doing to shift the pivot pin to one end of the slot, an over-center spring for release of said engagement upon subsequent downward relative movement of the lower bearing with respect to the plate when the pin is respotted, and a throw lug on said body portion positioned for engagement by the lower bearing when the carriage is raised to a non-operative position to shift the pivot pin to the other end of said slot which shifts the spring and thus restores the latch to latching position.

4. A bowling pin lift mechanism having in combination a carriage, means for supporting the carriage above the pin deck of an alley for movement towards and from said deck, a pair of parallel pin gripping bars supported on said carriage for movement laterally thereof and for movement pivotally toward and from each other, a pin engaging plate slidably mounted on the carriage for movement therewith and for vertical movement relative thereto when the carriage is in a lowered position, means connecting said plate to said pin gripping bars operable to pivot the bars towards each other to grip a pin when the plate engages the top of a pin and is moved relatively to the carriage thereby, and automatically operated latch means carried by said plate and operable to lock said bars in engaged relation with a pin, said latch means comprising a latch device having a pivot having an initial position and movable to another position, a lug engaging the carriage as the plate is from the initial position to the other position, over-center spring means for swinging said latch device to a disengaged position when the carriage is moved to respot the pin on the pin deck and said plate is again moved to an extreme position by the pin, and means for shifting the pivot back to the initial position when the carriage is raised to an inoperative position above the deck and thus with the over-center spring means restoring the latch device to latching position.

5. A bowling pin lifting mechanism having, in combination, a carriage, means supporting the carriage above the pin deck of an alley for movement toward and away from said deck, a plurality of. pin gripping members supported on said carriage for movement between withdrawn positions and pin engaging positions, a pin engaging plate slidably mounted on the carriage for movement therewith and for vertical movement relative thereto by engagement with the top of a pin, means connecting said plate to said pin gripping members operable to move the members to pin engaging positions when the plate engages the top of a pin and is moved relatively to the carriage thereby, and automatically-operated latch v means operable to lock said members in engaged relation with a pin, said latch means comprising a latch device carried by said plateand having a lug engaging the carriage as the plate is moved to an extreme position during the pin gripping operation, and means operable upon relative movement between the latch device and carriage when the carriage is moved to respot the pin on the pin deck and said plate is again moved to an extrerne position by the pin for swinging said latch device to a disengaged position.

6. A bowling pin lifting mechanism having, in combination, a carriage device, means for supporting the carriage device above the pin deck of an alley for movement towards and from said deck, a plurality of pin gripping members supported on said carriage device for movement between pin engaging positions and withdrawn positions, a pin engaging plate device slidably mounted on the carriage device for movement therewith and for vertical movement relative thereto, means connecting said plate device to said pin gripping members operable to move the members to pin engaging positions when the plate de vice engages the top of a pin and is moved relatively to the carriage device thereby, and automatically operated latch mans operable to lock said members in engaged relation with a pin, said latch means comprising a latch member having a lug for latching the plate device and carriage device together, said latch member being mounted on one of said devices and positioned so that the lug may engage the other device as the plate device is moved to an extreme position during the pin gripping operation, and means operable upon relative movement between the latch member and carriage device when the carriage device is moved to respot the pin on the pin deck and said plate device is again moved to an extreme position by the pin for swinging said latch member to a disengaged position.

7. A bowling pin lifting mechanism having, in combination, a carriage, means for supporting the carriage above the pin deck of an alley for movement towards and from said deck, a plurality of sets of pin gripping members supported on said carriage for movement between withdrawn and pin engaging positions, a plurality of pin engaging plates slidably mounted on the carriage for movement therewith and for vertical movement relative thereto, there being a plate associated with each set of pin gripping members, means connecting each plate to its associated pin gripping members to move the members towards each other to grip a pin when the plate engages the top of a pin and is moved relatively to the carriage thereby, and automatically operated latch means operable to lock said members in engaged relation with a pin, said latch means comprising a latch device carried by 

